Hidden Potential
by LordAdamant
Summary: After leaving Hollywood, Penny gets to spend some time as a normal kid. Going to school, making friends, worrying about boys. But a sinister darkness from the past lurks, ready to pounce. But she is never alone, not as long as Bolt stands by her. And this time, he won't fight alone. Rated M for violence and later lemon. /ON TEMPORARY HIATUS DUE TO COMPUTER TROUBLES/
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so here's a challenge fic requested by jameis. Before you start, know that there will be some trigger warnings in some chapters due to attempted rape, as well, this is a Bolt x Penny fic, so yeah, bestiality. Don't like, don't read, don't flame, don't judge. We're all messed up in the head anyway. Welp, here goes nothing.

Shouting can be heard behind the door, even through the heavy wood. Penny sits with Bolt outside the Lawyer's office, listening to her mother argue with their former manager. Something to do with royalties and involving a lot of money. She sighs, this being the fourth day in a row this has gone on. "Can't wait to get out of here..." she says, petting the dog on her lap.

"(Yeah, then it can just be us again,)" Bolt barks, wagging his tail, causing Penny to smile and hug him.

"Thanks, Bolt." At this time, her mother storms out, furious. "How'd it go?"

"That slimy manager isn't budging. He's hoping I'll just give up and leave him with all of the money, but he has nothing to base it on. YOU were the actor, so by all rights those royalties belong to YOU. And Bolt, of course," she adds, scratching the furry companion's head. "Tomorrow, though, this is going to end, we are going to get what is owed, and then we are getting out of here."

The family walks out of the law firm, hopping into the car outside. Penny sits in the middle in the back, Bolt buckled in right beside her. "So," Penny starts, scratching Bolt's chin absently. "Once we get settled, am I going back to school?"

Her mom is quiet a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think it's time you focused on your education again."

Penny nods, still petting Bolt, who falls over and lays his head in her lap. "(This is the best... I love you, Penny,)" he barks out, wagging his tail.

She laughs, hugging him. "Love you, too, Bolt. We got a whole new adventure ahead of us."

Back at the farmhouse, Penny and Bolt run into the house at breakneck speed, her mom laughing at their excitement. Mittens wakes up from where she was napping on the window sill to watch them run by. Rhino shouts angrily but without malice as they run in front of his seat on the couch, where he's been planted most of the day watching old _Bolt_ reruns. Up in her room, Penny picks up the squeaky carrot toy off of her bed, tossing it to Bolt, who leaps up and catches it out off the air.

"Good boy, Bolt." He jumps up on her bed and barks, dropping the toy and wagging his tail. She throws it a few times, Bolt catching it in increasingly impressive ways and bringing it back. She stops when he backflips into the closet door, knocking something down by the sounds of it. "Whoops." Getting up, she pets Bolt a minute, checking that he's okay, before looking in the closet. Turns out the impact had knocked loose a board in the back of the closet, revealing a hidden compartment. "Whoa, wonder what's in here?"

Inside, she finds an odd box of a dull gray steel, an odd symbol on the top that resembles an eye with an "X" over it. There's a simple dial padlock keeping it closed. Turning it around, she happens to notice something else was stored in the compartment: A letter. Pulling it out, she looks at it, seeing only her own name emblazoned on the back.

Before she can open it, her mother shouts from downstairs that it's time for supper. Replacing the box, letter, and bored, she signals for Bolt to stay quiet. He barks in assent, looking serious for a moment until Penny laughs and they head downstairs. They leave her room, but inside the wall, a small red light blinks, matching one miles away and deep underground.

Okay then, sound interesting so far? This is mostly something of a test chapter, see how it feels to write and to see if I can get any interest in it. Please review, tell me how I can improve. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Penny's mom decides to leave Penny and Bolt home, stating she doesn't want Penny to worry about any "adult problems...or language." On the arm of the couch, Mittens laughs to herself. "(Momma's gonna cuss out the manager. Fun.)" Rhino rolls in from the other room, crawling out of his ball and up the couch to the remote, turning on the tv. "(More reruns?)"

"(Yeah, they're holding a marathon of his most action-packed episodes!)" Mittens rolls her eyes and looks out the window, but can't help it when her eyes drift back to the tv screen.

Upstairs in her room, Bolt and Penny were lying on her bed while she played a video game, eyes narrowed and tongue sticking out in focus. Beside her, Bolt was copying her face while watching the character on the screen. Getting bored, Bolt scooches over into her side, poking his head up under her arm and licking her chin. Laughing, she pauses the game and grabs him, scratching his head and playfully tickling. After a moment Bolt wiggles out and crouches on the bed, tail wagging furiously.

"(Come on, Penny, let's play!)"

"Alright, Bolt," she says, grabbing Mr. Carrot. "Catch!" After a few minutes of this, Penny gasps. "That letter!" Running over to the closet, she pulls it open and moves the board aside, pulling out the box and letter. She replaces the board and closes the closet door before moving to sit on her bed. Carefully, she slides a pencil along the edge of the envelope to open it. Inside is a piece of paper with a series of numbers and letters scattered about. "What the-? Hmm." Looking over it, she tries to make heads or tails over it, but after a couple minutes she falls back, exasperated. "It doesn't make any sense."

Bolt hops up on the bed and gives it a look, head turning this way and that. "(I don't get it. Maybe Mittens could figure it out.)" Running downstairs, Bolt stops at the doorway, watching Mittens and Rhino sit side by side watching his old tv show. Though, lying on top of each other is more accurate. Rhino is pressed up against her side and her tail has curled up around him as the pair are engrossed watching the fight scene on tv. "(Guys?)" The two jolt out of their daze, Rhino falling off the couch when he jumps. The formerly close pair both stare at him, panting lightly. "(Nevermind. Mittens, do you know anything about secret codes or stuff?)"

"(Uh, depends. Why?)" She doesn't say it, but she's glad of the topic change, unsure herself what had occurred.

"(Penny found a strangle letter covered in letters and numbers and we can't figure it out.)"

Intrigued, both Mittens and Rhino get up and follow Bolt up the stairs, their show forgotten. Back in Penny's room, she's put the letter back in the envelope and put it away with the box. Penny's lying back on her bed, game reclaimed, not really paying attention as the animals look over her room. Bolt eventually determines she put the letter back in the wall, but came up with the plan that the next time she brought it out, he would grab them. Nodding, the trio get back to what they were doing, Bolt cuddling back up with Penny while Rhino and Mittens head back downstairs. Hours later, when Penny's mother comes home, happy to finally have all of the legal matters settles, she pauses at the scene of Rhino and Mittens curled up together asleep, the tv a light drone in the background.

In the morning, Bolt wakes up next to Penny, curled up under the covers with her. Ever since the fire, he's slept with her in her bed each night, neither willing to leave the other alone. He scooches closer, and Penny moves her arm in her sleep to hug him to her side. After a few minutes of warmth and comfort, Bolt decides it's time for them to both get out of bed and decides to wake up Penny the best way he knows how. He crawls out from her arms and from under the covers and moves around, crawling to lay atop her, facing her. Once in position, he starts licking her face repeatedly, and it isn't long before she's awake and laughing, trying to push Bolt off. Hopping off, he starts barking as Penny sits up, wiping her eyes and face.

"I hear ya, Bolt. Gimme a minute." When he doesn't stop, she playfully throws a pillow at him. He stops barking, but after a moment he's hopped back up, with the pillow this time, and started to swing it around at Penny. Laughing, Penny grabs another, and the pair have a good old fashioned pillow fight, laughing and carrying on, until Penny's mom shouts up that they're being too loud for this early in the morning. Sharing a nervous chuckle, they settle down. Penny gets up and lets Bolt out while she gets dressed. Down in the living room, Rhino and Mittens are separate again and still asleep. He decides to lie down on the couch and wait for Penny.

After a couple minutes, she comes down the stairs in her usual outfit. "Alright, Bolt, let's get some breakfast." He barks in response waking up Mittens and Rhino. The four head into the kitchen where Penny gets them all their food: Kibble for Bolt, Tuna for Mittens, carrots for Rhino, while Penny makes herself cereal. Eventually, Penny's mother comes downstairs, still tired out from yesterday's events, sitting down and drinking her coffee. "So, Mom, are we going to go register me for school today?" Her mom nods tiredly, slowly drinking her coffee.

Eventually, Penny's mom was woken up and ready to go, taking Penny to register for school and leaving the animals to entertain themselves for a few hours. It's Mittens who has the idea to get the letter themselves. "(I can open the doors, you can pull the board open, and Rhino can climb in and hand it out, as well as put it back when we're done.)" After a minute of silence, Bolt and Rhino agree, and the three run up the steps. Mittens hops up and bats at the handle until it turns, Bolt pushing his way through to open it. Inside, they repeat this to get into the closet before Bolt scratches at the board, catching his claws on the edge and pulling it down. Rhino climbs through the opening, appearing a second later with the letter.

"(Oh yeah.)" Bolt laughs at the hamster's antics, while Mittens just grins and rolls her eyes, waving her companions out into the light. Out on Penny's bed, Rhino slides open the envelope and pulls out the letter, spreading it on the bed for Mittens and Bolt. Bolt sees the same senseless numbers and letters, but Mittens looks at it closely.

"(I actually think I can figure this out.)" Bolt's ears perk up at this, and Rhino stares at her in awe, not really understanding anything on the paper. "(Not right now, though. I'm going to need time. I need a copy.)" Bolt slumps, but Rhino has an idea. He hops off the bed without explanation, coming back with an Etcha-Sketch. Staring at the paper, he starts furiously turning the knobs, and in minutes, he has a perfect replica of the letter drawn on the toy.

"(Whoa, I didn't know you could do that.)" Rhino laughs at Bolt's surpise.

"(There's a lot you don't know about me.)"

"(This is perfect, Rhino. Great job!)" Rhino blushes when Mittens compliments him, waving the compliment off.

"(Just don't shake it, or else it's gone.)" They nod and put everything back in place, Bolt carefully carrying the Etcha-Sketch downstairs to where Mittens sleeps most nights.

"(It'll take some time, but I'll figure it out.)"

"(So, what's with that box?)" Bolt shrugs at Rhino's question, sighing. "(Well, guess it's all up to you, Mittens. I believe in you.)" Mittens blushes a little as she turns to the toy, starting on the code.

Meanwhile, Penny and her mom on their way back from registering her, and it's a little tense in the car.

"So, tomorrow," Penny starts, looking at her hands folded in her lap. Her mom offers a silent nod, focused on the road. "Well, maybe it'll be fun? I mean, maybe people will recognize me and wanna be my friend?" Her mom nods, smiling in agreement. A spot of silence takes over the car, before Penny's mom breaks it.

"If you start to feel overwhealmed or threatened or anything I will pull you out of that school and get you a tutor, okay? So, there's no need to worry. No need to worry..." Penny nods, though it feels more for her mom's sake than her own.

Back home, the animals greet them happily, Bolt helping carry in the school supplies they got on the way home. The house settles down, the family having dinner before getting ready for bed. Penny's mom heads to bed early, Bolt heads to bed with Penny, while Mittens curls up on her bed with the Etcha-Sketch. Rhino sits on the couch, watching the last Bolt rerun of the day, but he finds himself glancing repeatedly at MIttens.

Upstairs, Bolt and Penny get ready for bed, playing around a bit. As she goes to get changed, Bolt politely turns away, Penny chuckling at her considerate dog. But out of the corner of his eye, Bolt watches her reflection in the window. She peels off her shirt slowly, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the floor, revealing her lack of a bra. Her skin is pale and smooth, perfect. Her active lifestyle keeps her stomach and sides toned, her stance is lithe and youthful. Her breasts are budding, just little bumps on her chest as they are, but Bolt slowly finds his gaze locked onto the reflection of those points. Penny then slides off her jeans, and Bolt tries looking away, only to feel his eyes drawn back to the show. Her legs are long, lean, and the same perfection that can be found elsewhere. Her panties are a small, frilly white piece of cloth, so small in fact that they're tight on her, defining her buttocks and core well. Bolt is dumbstruck until she slips on her nightgown, calling out to him that he can turn around. He shakes his head, crawling under the covers and being joined by Penny after she turns out the lights. He snuggles in close, licking her chin once before settling down. And as he falls asleep, he feels an odd warmth in his chest, his thoughts spiraling around the girl beside him.


End file.
